Queensland talent shines through in TSP Carnivals

Liam Watson

Football Queensland has seen more than 300 young male and female footballers take part in two Regional Talent Support Program (TSP) Carnivals across the weekend.

Based in Cairns and Rockhampton, the carnivals allowed emerging talent from Football Queensland’s development pathways to showcase their skills.

Endeavour Park and Frenchville Sports Club welcomed the brightest 13 to 16-year-old talent from Central Queensland, Mackay, North Queensland and Far North Queensland. Participants were able to demonstrate their attributes following their training from their respective areas.

FQ State Technical Director Gabor Ganczer was at Sunday’s landmark Rockhampton event and delighted to see the quality come through.

“The TSP fixtures at Frenchville Sports Club involved excellent teams from Magpies Crusaders FC and Central Queensland and also set some milestones in regional football,” Ganczer said.

“First of all, a representative junior football event returned to Central Queensland after almost a decade.

“The weekend also marked the first time that a regional Central Queensland girls squad selected from local club players performed in front of a home crowd.”

Seven sides from Central Queensland and Mackay were in action in Rockhampton, while another 10 from North Queensland and Far North Queensland were involved across two busy days in Cairns.

“The TSP Carnival in Cairns was a great experience,” Tom Laxton said, Football Queensland’s Lead Club Development Ambassador – Talent.

“We had a great showing from both regions in competitive matches. Individual talent was on show and there were some real standout performances from both the boys and girls.

“The event was well organised and the parents were well voiced in their support of the players.

“The referee team should also take great credit for the weekend. Every game I saw had a high standard of officiating. They were also well organised, educated and supported by the Junior Referee Coordinator Holly Goodchild.”

Football Queensland Central Operations Manager Kerry Gray was pleased to see high-standard representative football make its return to the region.

“The day ran smoothly and it was fantastic to see the development of the players and competitive nature of the games,” Gray said.

“Players and spectators were respectful of the COVID-19 regulations with many of them appreciating a regional event where they were not having to travel to larger metropolitan areas.”

Football Queensland has planned for the next TSP Carnivals to feature regional and metro state teams, scheduled to take place in Brisbane during the September school holidays.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Queensland Government grants boosts growth and affordability

Avatar
Image credit: PxHere website

Queensland’s sporting community will benefit from comprehensive state government grants, which will help kids join local clubs, support elite athletes, and upgrade facilities.

For children

  • Access up to $200 in FairPlay vouchers per eligible child to assist with sport and recreation club membership costs.
  • Support of up to $800 is available through Emerging Athlete Pathways for athletes and officials under 18 attending state, national and international competitions.

For clubs and organisations

  • Become a registered organisation to accept FairPlay vouchers, allowing eligible children to use up to $200 towards membership, registration or participation fees.
  • Register your organisation’s competitions at state, national and international levels through Emerging Athlete Pathways to enable athlete and official funding eligibility.
  • Apply for the Minor Infrastructure and Inclusive Facilities Fund to create accessible, safe and inclusive community sport and recreation spaces.
  • Not-for-profit sport and recreation organisations can access Active Clubs funding to support volunteers and deliver flexible, safe physical activities to boost participation.

Disaster recovery

  • Eligible not-for-profit sport and recreation organisations affected by significant weather events can apply for up to $5,000 through the Sport and Recreation Disaster Recovery Program to restart operations.

Other Sports and Recreation funding sources

  • Explore funding opportunities for not-for-profit organisations through your local council.
  • Contact your state sport and recreation organisation for information about activity-specific funding options.
  • Access various funding programs for individuals and sporting organisations through Sport Australia.

Sporting clubs have always been vocal about the importance that government backing has in the upkeep of the sporting industry.

Though it will take time to see the full effect of these grants, this comprehensive list of grants shows that Queensland’s government is dedicated to supporting its sporting industry.

It’s a positive sign and hopefully, it will help increase the sporting output and relieve the financial stress for the people of Queensland. A strong sporting Queensland is a benefit for sport in the country as a whole.

Learn more here.

Major grant boost for women’s football in NSW

Avatar
NSW Government - Level the Playing Fund
Image credit: Football NSW

In a major win for women’s football growth in NSW, a $654,000 grant from the Federal Government has been awarded to support the ‘Play Our Way’ initiative for women and girls.

Football NSW’s ‘Empower Her’ project, focused on leadership, education, and inclusion for women in football, was among 120 grants awarded as part of the Federal Government’s $55 million scheme.

The grant will focus on three key areas—leadership, education, and inclusion—to attract, retain, and develop women in football. It will also support intersectional communities through initiatives like the NAIDOC Cup for First Nations youth and community sustainability efforts for priority groups via Football4All and the State Parafootball team.

Football NSW CEO, John Tsatsimas, mentioned the crucial role that the funding will have for Football NSW.

“The generous funding from the Federal Government will play a pivotal role in supporting Football NSW’s mission to expand and elevate female participation in football across the state, ensuring that more women and girls can thrive in the sport at every level,” he said via press release.

“Female football continues to soar following the incredible success of last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™.

“Over the past 12 months, female participation has surged by an impressive 23%, reflecting the growing enthusiasm and opportunities for women and girls in the sport.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Federal Government for their invaluable support. This funding will help us grow and create more opportunities for women and girls to participate in all facets of football across NSW.”

Sport Minister, Anika Wells, added her comments about the Play Our Way initiative.

“Play Our way is the single biggest package for women’s sport participation and facilities ever and these 120 projects will create greater opportunities for women and girls to enjoy being physically active,” she said via press release.

“The huge response to this grant opportunity, and the range of great project ideas, show that Australian communities want to be more supportive of women and girls.”

The grants are part of the participation stream, the first funding confirmed under the Albanese Government’s $200 million Play Our Way program.

A second phase of the Play Our Way program, focused on facility grants, will be confirmed soon.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend